![[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Feb 13, 2024; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Al Nassr player Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after being substituted in a Saudi Pro League soccer match at King Abdullah Sports City. Mandatory Credit: Reuters via Imagn Images](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_86,y_124,w_1976,h_1111/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/193/01kr19d7mx6tcje5x187.jpg "[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Feb 13, 2024; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Al Nassr player Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after being substituted in a Saudi Pro League soccer match at King Abdullah Sports City. Mandatory Credit: Reuters via Imagn Images")
After many years of the same companies dominating the card-collecting industry, the hobby was turned on its head when Fanatics made an aggressive push into the space. Fanatics snagged the MLB license out of nowhere and forced a Topps acquisition along with those rights. Then, they swooped in and won the NBA and NFL licenses away from Panini, and all of a sudden Fanatics was at the center of the card-collecting world. And they are not stopping there.
As it turns out, Fanatics had their eyes on another sport to add to the growing empire: soccer. On Thursday, Fanatics announced it had reached an agreement on an exclusive collectibles licensing deal with FIFA that will include cards, trading card games, and stickers. The agreement will begin in full in 2031.
What to know about Fanatics' new licensing deal with FIFA
Topps is no stranger to producing soccer cards, but this agreement seems to expand upon what Fanatics has previously offered, and, more importantly, the licensing agreement is exclusive. Collectors probably won't see many big changes on the product front right away, and those plans will almost certainly take shape over time. However, we do know from the press release that Fanatics will be introducing the chase "debut patches" concept that has taken the hobby by storm to soccer as well.
Included in the deal are provisions that Fanatics will give away $150 million in collectibles across the world over the course of the agreement. There will also be media availability and appearances from FIFA World Cup players and coaches at this year's Fanatics Fest on July 17, 2026. The world's largest card/collectible gathering just got that much bigger.
We are seeing the hobby shift in major ways right now. Card collecting has never been more popular than it is right now, and there are a number of leagues now (as well as dollars) under Fanatics' umbrella. We don't know how many years this new deal with FIFA will run yet, but you can bet that this is going to be the new normal for years to come.
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